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Cheerful Philosophy 

FOR 

THOUGHTFUL 

INVALI DS 



BY y 

WILLIAM HORATIO CLARKE 



Endorsed by Clergymen, Physicians, and Philanthropists 
of all Schools 

Price, in limp cloth, 50 cents 






E. T. CLARKE & COMPANY J-IX^/^"^ 
READING, MASS., U.S.A. 






Copyright, 1896, 
By William Horatio Clarke. 
Clarigold Manse, 

Reading, Mass. 



typography by C. J. peters & SON, 

boston. 



THE AFFLICTED 

WHO HAVE BEEN COMPELLED TO RETIRE FROM THE ACTIVITIES 

OF THEIR HEALTHY FELLOW-BEINGS, 

AND WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE EFFORT TO RENDER 

THEIR LIVES LESS BURDENSOME TO THEMSELVES 

AND MORE USEFUL TO OTHERS, 

THE FOLLOWING THOUGHTS 

ARE INSCRIBED WITH SYMPATHY 
AND HOPE. 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Looking Forward „ . . . . 5 

Personal Magnetism 9 

A Cheerful Philosopher 14 

A Chronic Grumbler 23 

The Ocean Pilot 27 

Unpatented Medicine 30 

The Blessings of Retirement 35 

At Rest 38 



CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY FOR 
THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 



LOOKING FORWARD. 

Fellow Sufferers : — 

As members of the family of afflicted ones, and with 
the sincere desire of helping and adding a few rays of 
comfort and hope to our imprisoned lives, we take this 
method of conferring with each other in the endeavor 
to communicate cheerful and practical thoughts which 
are the outgrowth of years of suffering. 

Instead of burdening our minds with quotations from 
ancient maxims, we will try to use a rational philoso- 
phy, and ignore our past bitter experiences, hoping for 
the good which may yet be derived from them, so that 
many others may be aided from the result of trials 
which have been so burdensome. 

Our lives were not made in vain, and they will not 
be failures. Instead of despairing, we may be filled 
with hope. The pain which we suffer i's the indication 
of life seeking to enter and restore, whether in our 
mental or physical organizations. 

5 



6 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

Without referring to the causes of our affliction, 
whether from hereditary tendencies, accidents, or 
through disobedience to natural and hygienic laws, 
there is something for us yet to say or do which may 
render the influence of our lives a blessing to those 
with whom we are brought into contact, even though 
in some cases the prospects for our physical restora- 
tion may be hopeless. 

As the bruising of fragrant flowers causes them to 
give forth a more etherial aroma, so in our own lives, 
the good qualities may be brought forth by means of 
the afflictions which seem to press the life out of us. 

The corn is ground to obtain the meal, and the 
wheat for the flour. The maple-tree is tapped for its 
sap, and the sugar-cane is crushed for its sirup and 
saccharine crystals. The quartz is pulverized for the 
gold and silver, while the ore is purified by fire. 

Through such instrumentalities is the immortal na- 
ture in which our real individuality resides often de- 
veloped and made useful, and it is thus saved from the 
changes incident to the disorganization of the physical 
body ; for we exist as individuals, independent of the 
apparently adverse conditions of the earthly frame. 

The object for which we were created is the devel- 
opment and attainment of a true character in which 
every virtue shall prevail ; and such a character must 
be ours, notwithstanding our frail physical constitu- 
tions. The virtues are developed through trials and 
temptations. Honesty is proved by not yielding to 
fraud, deceit, and dishonesty. Purity is developed 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 7 

•through the combat when immoral temptations are 
resisted, and patience is attained through the long 
endurance of suffering. 

To those of us who are confined to the boundaries 
of our rooms, so familiar with every crack in the ceil- 
ing overhead, and are weary of forming faces and new 
patterns from the outlines of the figured wall-paper, it 
is impossible to realize that we are journeying through 
space on a revolving earth at the rate of nearly seventy 
thousand miles an hour. Yet we are travelling onward 
daily and yearly toward the object for which we were 
created, which, through every hindrance, will certainly 
be accomplished, as surely as the earth revolves on its 
axis through its orbit, bringing the annual New Year, 
— notwithstanding the many mistakes which we have 
made. 

We are not to look backward, and lament the dead 
things of the foolish past. Our work is before us, yet 
to be accomplished; and the errors we made were sim- 
ply stepping-stones in our ascent, to reveal to us not 
only our weaknesses and infirmities, but to guide us to 
the Source of life and strength. 

We who so deeply feel our helplessness do not need 
to be taught that our lives are not our own, and that 
we do not exist from any law or power in and of our- 
selves; for we feel our dependence upon the Infinite 
Life from whom we came, in whom we exist, and to 
whom we are returning, as recipients of the Divine 
Influence. 



8 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

George Osborne was a brilliant pianist and profes- 
sional musician. While on a concert tour in the West, 
he was the victim of a fearful railway collision in which 
his spine was so injured that the lower half of his body 
was paralyzed for life, with the prospect of surviving 
for many years. It was thought best that he should 
become the permanent inmate of a large hospital, 
where he could receive the best of professional care 
without his feeling that he might be a burden to 
others. 

It was a hard blow for such a healthy and active 
young man to surrender all his musical ambition and 
hope of prosperity ; but when he realized the inevitable 
condition of his earthly future, he began to develop 
heroic qualities. Instead of repining at his lot, he 
studied every way to devise some method by which he 
could utilize his talents in benefiting the other inmates 
of the institution to which he had been assigned. 

He possessed a voice of rare beauty, and his affliction 
did not deprive him of the power of singing. He de- 
termined to use that one talent in a direction which 
would make him helpful to his fellow-sufferers. 

So he was moved from ward to ward, and daily be- 
guiled the painful hours of the other invalids. He sang 
comforting songs and hymns of hope to those around 
him, and not only thus kept his lungs in healthy exer- 
cise, but took delight in looking forward to years of 
usefulness in helping his feeble companions to make 
the best of their misfortunes. Many were the fainting 
souls who became courageous when they crossed the 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 9 

stream to the great beyond, listening to the tones of 
that rich voice blending with their vanishing spirits. 

Not only was his voice a comforter in song, but he 
so strove to forget his own trials that he cheered the 
discouraged ones with brave words of hope and trust 
born from his own experiences, and stimulated his de- 
spairing listeners with strength as they were led to look 
forward. 

Thus, instead of living an artificial life built upon the 
adulations of a heartless public, his career developed 
into a noble and true life of blessing, which, instead of 
being lost in despair, was one of constant and cheerful 
growth. 



PERSONAL MAGNETISM. 

Personal magnetism is the good influence which we 
exert upon others through the exercise of self-controL 
The tendency of mental or bodily afflictions is to cause 
one to become irritable and complaining, a condition 
which we must overcome. 

It requires constant effort to obtain sufficient self- 
control to withhold expressions of irritation when in 
poor health, and to supplant their place with smiles. 
But in the forced effort to look pleasant and speak 
gently, we shall be taking steps upward toward the 
suppression of peevish utterances and signs of fretful- 
ness. 

When we give expression to our irritable feelings, 



lO CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

the influence emanating therefrom is harmful upon 
those on whom we are dependent for so many need- 
ful attentions. It is not an easy task for a well person 
to be constantly in the society of a complaining invalid, 
and fretful words are sometimes resented as unkind 
and unappreciative on the part of the one for whom 
irksome attendance is being rendered. Selfishness is 
just as much a fault with invalids as with those who 
are in good health. 

No good is accomplished by complaining, and craving 
for a sympathy which cannot be given. Only those 
who have experienced kindred suffering can extend 
sincere commiseration. It is harmful to continually 
turn one's thoughts upon self, and make that self the 
chief topic of conversation. 

It feeds pain to think and speak of it, and to tell the 
same old story over and over to well persons who can- 
not understand it. Instead of enlisting compassion, it 
causes repulsion and the loss of heartfelt friendship, 
and that personal magnetism by which we may aid 
others. 

No one has a sincere desire to call upon and con- 
verse with a grumbler who is constantly alluding to 
symptoms and aches. Constant complaining drives 
away sympathetic companionship, and is the opposite 
state from self-control. 

We are not classing ourselves among those who are 
passing through the crises of acute disease with its 
paroxysms of pain, or its comatose state ; but we belong 
to the multitude of those who, although helpless to 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS, II 

engage in the busy ways of the world, and are in forced 
retirement, possess ample time for the exercise of that 
self-control which will endue us with a positive influ- 
ence for good in the upbuilding of character. 

For the formation of character consists in conquer- 
ing all that is evil and false in our natures ; not in 
surrendering the selfhood of our individuality, but in 
turning it to a good use. An invalid has just as much 
of a character to develop as a stalwart athlete, and has 
as much selfishness to subdue as though brought into 
conflict with the strife of the business world. There- 
fore there is plenty of work to be done in this direction ; 
and we have an excellent opportunity to examine the 
motive of each word and action before giving it utter- 
ance or expression. 

The object of this self-control is to enable us to 
exert a good influence upon others, and it is a process 
which will never have a termination. There is not a 
person who visits us, but whom we may be able to help 
in a way which the occasion may indicate. 

We are not to assume sanctimonious faces and utter 
cant phrases, but we should enter into whatever inter- 
ests our friends concerning their own lives, where we 
can help them the most. When they call upon us 
from motives of kindness, we can meet them half-way, 
by giving out from our own lives something which will 
strengthen them, and lead them to visit us again. 

We may be able to exert such a helpful influence 
that they will always depart with lighter hearts, and 
with greater faith in the quiet and conservative prin- 



12 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

ciples which actuate our motives, which are founded 
upon that spirit of love by which the world is made 
better. 

Friendship is based upon a reciprocal influence. 
The exercise of a loving spirit creates an affection in 
return, and we must say those good and true things to 
others which we would like to have them say to us. 

While we are conscious of possessing no self -derived 
faculties, and do not originate anything, the power to 
exercise this self-control is given to each of us, and we 
are not to passively await its quickening impulses. We 
are gifted with the ability to use these powers as our 
own, just as though we were the originators. 

This ability belongs to our individuality, and in the 
exercise of it there is no danger of our becoming self- 
righteous ; while we inwardly perceive that Divine help 
is always in the endeavor to actuate us if we will use* 
the power which is so freely given, — the power to 
think, speak, and act rightly. 

Fifteen years ago, Mary Atherton was engaged to 
be married to a prosperous merchant. She had a 
bright and cheerful temperament which was infectious, 
and her charitable duties culminated in visiting the 
sick and in ministering to their wants. 

One morning, as she was passing through a squalid 
part of the city, a little colored boy was playing in the 
street, unconscious of a runaway team which was rap- 
idly approaching. Forgetful of self, she sprang to the 
child in season to rescue it from destruction, but was 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 1 3 

too late to escape almost fatal injury to herself. She 
was knocked down by the horses ; and the wheels passed 
over her m such a way that the hip-joint was broken 
beyond the possibility of its union, and since that time 
she has not had a wakeful hour without severe pain. 

Here was a sudden change in all her plans of life. 
Instead of affluency and the enjoyments of refinement, 
she was obliged to spend all her days in reclining upon 
a couch, or in being carefully moved in a special wheel- 
chair upon which this lounge could be lifted. 

But her true life did not desert her. After some of 
her general strength returned, she determined to make 
the best use of her time in blessing others. Recogniz- 
ing her dependence, she acquiesced in this condition as 
something which she could not help, and did not mur- 
mur, accepting every attention with a gratitude which 
warmed the hearts of her friends. The only thing she 
could do with her hands was to knit, in which she 
became very skilful. By means of an adjustable book- 
rack, she had her reading-matter placed in good posi- 
tion. 

Her memory was very retentive ; and she filled her 
mind with the most inspiring thoughts of the best 
writers, and determined not to allow her nature to suc- 
cumb to her apparent adverse circumstances. Her 
mind became so infused with helpful thoughts that 
she found words of instruction and encouragement for 
every person who visited her. She chose her expres- 
sions to meet the different mental states of the individ- 
uals, studying their minds, and judiciously adapting her 



14 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

advice. She had plenty of despairing companions who 
poured their trials and sorrows into her ears. But she 
sent them all away with sound and practical counsel, 
not with weak ephemeral sentiment, but with plain 
truths, because her opinions were respected. 

She was always cheerful, conquering all manifesta- 
tions of her own pain, furnishing a powerful example tc 
those who so freely overwhelmed her with their petty 
complaints. She did not attain this influence without 
struggling to control herself, and it was not a spontane- 
ous manifestation ; but, relying upon the vital principles 
which had been inculcated in her religious education, 
she thus proved their real potency when applied to her 
own condition. 

Such was the happy influence emanating from her 
life of pain and affliction that her presence was sought 
for in many homes, where she was given every atten- 
tion ; in return for which a holy influence pervaded the 
households which were blessed with her personal mag- 
netism. Her life-work yet continues as a heavenly 
benediction to all who are so highly favored with the 
companionship of this consecrated sufferer. 



A CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHER. 

(This chapter is taken by permission from the story of the development of a 
musical artist, entitled " The Organist's Retrospect." ) 

Just prior to my withdrawal from my last position 
as organist, I made a short visit to Dulham, the scene 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 1 5 

of my early days. I had not seen my old friend Alfred 
Vane for many years ; and although I had been in- 
formed that he was an invalid, I was not aware of how 
powerless one's physical condition could exist, while 
the mind could be exercised with more than usual clear- 
ness, until I now had the opportunity of witnessing it. 

After my interview with him, I resolved never to 
complain of my own condition, but to patiently bear 
what trials I might be called upon to undergo, while 
my life should become purified through needed disci- 
pline, and while my faith in the Divine Providence 
should be strengthened, a condition which is of slow 
development, and not instantaneous with the first per- 
ception. 

In his boyhood Alfred was inclined to be sceptical 
in regard to spiritual influences, but now he was filled 
with trust and a childlike faith. But how did I find 
him ? 

As I entered his cheerful parlor on the first floor, 
I observed a short bed upon wheels. It was short, 
because the knees of my old friend were drawn up 
beneath him. 

Every joint in his body had become ossified except- 
ing the first joint of one of the fingers of his right 
hand, which he was only able to move half an inch in 
pressing upon an electrical push-button which rested 
under that finger. 

In every other respect he was utterly immovable 
from his own will-power, excepting the muscles of his 
lips and tongue, by which he was able to converse. 



1 6 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

Even his jaws were so firmly set that two of his lower 
front teeth had been extracted, so as to admit the in 
sertion of a rubber tube through which he was supplied 
with nourishment. 

The exterior nerves of his body were so sensitive 
that the bed-clothing was kept from immediate contact 
by being supported with semicircular hoops. In addi- 
tion to this helpless condition, he had become totally 
blind ; but his sense of hearing remained acute, and 
his well-educated mind was in the fullest exercise of 
thought and memory, so that he had dictated many an 
article for the papers and scientific magazines. 

At his head an electric fan was revolving to give 
him currents of air filled with the fragrance of the 
flowers standing on the little table near by. His faith- 
ful wife was always near at hand to answer the sum- 
mons of that feeble finger, while his loving daughter 
devoted her time to reading him books of his choice, 
and the daily news of the world, besides recording the 
articles dictated by him. I found that he delighted 
in the companionship of intelligent friends, and was 
seldom wearied by sensible conversation. 

He recognized me at once by the sound of my voice. 

'' Ah, my good old Ernest, I am glad that you 
thought of me ! '* 

I told him that I was sorry to find him in such a 
condition. 

" Oh, well, Ernest, I long ago ceased to be sorry for 
what I couldn't help, and sometimes things are not so 
bad as they seem !" 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 1/ 

I asked him if he rebelled any when this affliction 
seized him. 

'^Yes, I guess I did! I did just as any other man 
would do. I fought it with every means at command ; 
and the more I fought it, the more it encroached. I 
feared from the first that there was no hope, but 
I could not give up my activity without a struggle. I 
became an inmate of hospitals under the most intelli- 
gent treatment with no avail, because the nature of 
this disease is aggressive to the end." 

'' How long have you lain in the present condition } " 
'"• Twelve years. At first I moved about with 
crutches until I could not move them on account of 
the arm and shoulder joints becoming fixed, after de- 
pending on them for eigh^ years, making twenty years 
since I was forced to give up the active duties of life." 
'* And do you find yourself yet tempted to rebel } " 
" Not now. I have learned not to fight that which 
is inevitable ; and I am not inclined to utter words of 
complaint, because my condition would not be mended, 
and it would only grieve those kind hearts whose 
thoughtful and uncomplaining devotion solaces my 
daily life. They are so devoted that I often feel that 
they are having the worst of it." 

I suppose that I must have been anticipating my own 
adverse circumstances when I asked him, — 

'' Have you been troubled about financial matters } " 

'^ Yes, I was greatly troubled at the beginning, and 

was filled with anxiety for the means of support of 

those who were dependent upon me, as I felt that I 



1 8 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

was to be deprived of the ability to earn my living. 
But a way was provided for our maintenance through 
my wife obtaining a few select boarders, until I became 
helpless, when I found support from a pension fund 
which had been generously left for incurables/' 

^'Then, money matters give you no concern now V 

'' No, not in the least. My personal needs are few, 
and long ago I learned not to desire anything which 
I could not have or make use of. Every man in the 
world will be taken care of while he is here, which may 
be set down as a philosophical axiom. The major part 
of our anxieties and disappointments come from want- 
ing things which we cannot have, the possession of 
which would doubtless be of injury to us." 

** Then you actually have a contented mind, even in 
your condition } " 

*' Why not } As a man, I yet retain all the mental 
faculties which constitute manhood. My wants are all 
supplied ; and I am only to patiently await further 
developments in regard to life, for you know I now 
am a sincere believer in evolution in regard to things 
of the spirit. While I cannot see or handle external 
things, my mental eye sees vividly all things which are 
described, and all things which I formerly saw. I know 
by actual proof what it is to have true friends, and I 
have been forced to turn my mind to a realm of 
thought where life seems more real than when I was 
so active among others." 

** Have you any dread of the future ? " 

'' I have no fear now. That was a bitter experience 



FOR THOUGHTFUL 11^ V A LIDS. 1 9 

of the past. I have been led to continually say, ^ He 
shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in 
all thy ways.' To me life is one eternal now, whether 
in or out of the body. This imprisonment is but a 
transient condition. This body is fast wearing out. 
After this lonesome finger shall succumb to its des- 
tiny, the heart will soon after cease to beat, without 
any warning ; but I fear that event no more than one 
going to sleep after the weary labor of a day." 

'' Do you look upon your affliction as punishment for 
wrong-doing } " 

"• No ! It is a bodily condition which could not have 
been averted, and it is not a punishment for disobedi- 
ence on my part to any law. We are descended from 
millions and millions of ancestors, and inherit their 
tendencies in physical infirmities, as well as in mental 
traits, because the seed of the human race is imperfect. 
While we must recognize this law of heredity, and 
suffer for things in which we are not to blame, yet we 
experience no afifliction which is needless ; and we may 
rejoice that physical pain is confined to this life, and 
that it will soon be over with all of us." 

"What do you think is the object of this discipline.^" 

**I think that the object of all discipline is our eman- 
cipation from things which are false, and which obstruct 
our higher development. The object of all punishment 
is reformatory, in order that we may be led from a 
lower to a higher state. When, in the evolution of the 
spirit, our motives have been purified, and we are being 
led by holy influences, our punishment will cease, and 



20 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

therefore it cannot be eternal. The very thought that 
there will constantly be more to know, more to attain, 
and more to do with the talents given us, will fill our 
lives with eternal happiness/' 

*'Then, you do not fret about the affairs of this 
life ? " 

'' I have no occasion to be fretful or anxious about 
anything. I am conscious that we were all created for 
a higher life, and that every true ideal will have its 
fulfilment. I do not desire wealth for myself, because 
it would not benefit my condition. I venture to say 
that my mind has more contentment and enjoyment 
than any man who is battling with the world for riches 
which cannot be taken beyond the grave.'' 

'^ From what you have said, I judge that you now 
firmly believe that there is a hereafter } " 

'^ My dear old Ernest ! that brings to mind the talks 
we used to have in the old churchyard. Well, I cannot 
say that it is a matter of belief with me, because 
belief must be founded upon an experimental knowl- 
edge. But I have now a sincere opinion and deep in- 
tuition that our life here in this lowly condition is but 
the beginning of the real life upon which we are to 
enter when we shall be released from material environ- 
ments. My faintest conception of this higher realm of 
existence is too exalted to be described in language. 
This thought sustains me, and gives me the hope that, 
in the few short years of my earthly deprivations, I 
have met with no loss by the exercise of patience. It 
is a great comfort to me to feel that no event takes 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS- 21 

place by blind chance, but has a meaning for our 
welfare." 

" What about your religious opinions ? " 

'* I have not forgotten, Ernest, those old times in the 
church spire when you thought me an infidel because I 
did not walk in your footsteps ! I don't believe, from 
your questions, that you held to those opinions in after 
years. You know I was always a kind of philosopher 
in those days, whether it was in religion, science, or 
music. When this affliction came upon me, this philo- 
sophic faculty was used to good advantage in leading 
my thoughts to the Divine Source of all things, and I 
have had a splendid opportunity for reflection and med- 
itation. My opinions are founded upon those eternal 
principles which have actuated the motives of every 
good man since the ad^vent of humanity, concerning 
which there never will be any controversy. Without 
giving them a sectarian name, I feel that I belong to 
the church universal ; and from the sphere which ema- 
nates from your presence, my dear Ernest, we are 
brothers in spirit." 

I assured him of our spiritual brotherhood, and 
briefly related how I had been led, which gave him 
great delight. As a final question connected with this 
vein of thought, I asked him if his present condition 
ever rendered him morbid or unhappy, to which he 
replied : — 

*' I think not. Morbidness arises from thinking too 
much of one's self, and lamenting conditions of which 
the best must be made. All men have trials peculiar 



22 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

to their own lives. Happiness is not a condition to 
strive for. The possession of the things of this world 
does not afford it ; nor does the ability to use every 
joint in the body give peace to the mind. Happiness 
is a mental state arising from the endeavor to make 
the best use of any condition in which we may be 
placed, even under the most adverse circumstances. 
It is a condition of mind which fills us with a trust 
that, in each event of our lives, there is a Guiding 
Hand, ordering everything for our spiritual good, caus- 
ing us to find rest in that peaceful haven where we are 
sheltered from all harm.'' 

After this conversation upon the lessons of our afflic- 
tions, which were so practically illustrated in his case, 
we reviewed many incidents of early days. Then he 
asked if I would take his violin, and play some of the 
old melodies in which we used to delight in our duets, 
which I did until it was time to depart, when he 
thanked me over and over again for remembering him, 
and for recalling the musical visions of our youth. 

As I looked upon his placid face for the last time, I 
resolved that, if I should be called upon to endure a 
similar experience, of which my own lameness was in- 
dicative, I would try and imitate his holy example. 

It was not long after when I received a letter from 
his daughter, informing me that the electric bell had 
ceased to sound, and that dear, patient, suffering Alfred 
Vane had vanished, leaving the blessing of his sacred 
influence as a consolation in their bereavement. 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS, 23 

In the old cemetery of Dulham, beneath the shade 
of an evergreen arbor-vitae, the mortal frame of my old 
playmate was laid away in a lot adjoining the grave of 
one of the most distinguished statesmen of the early 
Republic, — a friend of Washington, — where the un- 
molested birds carol their melodies in the summer-time, 
and where, week after week, and year after year, the 
deep tones of the organ in the ivy-clad church still 
send forth their rumbling waves over the hallowed 
ground. But the lessons from the life of this cheer- 
ful philosopher, who bore the title of '' Old Accurate " 
in his youthful days, will continue their instruction 
through another generation. 



A CHRONIC GRUMBLER. 

Not far away there lives a nervous invalid who is 
greatly to be pitied. She is not confined to her bed, 
but is up and around the house. She has a kind hus- 
band and one dear, sensitive boy twelve years of age. 
She says that she has not seen a well day since she 
was overworked in her mother's home when a girl. 

If you try to sympathize with her, and inquire into 
the nature of her affliction, she will tell you that there 
is hardly a disease which she has not had, and that she 
is suffering from a complication of them all, especially 
with heart failure and nervous prostration. If she 
hears of a person stricken down with a disease which 



24 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

terminates fatally, she asserts that she has had that 
trouble much worse than the departed one ever expe- 
rienced. Her reading is confined to medical works 
and pathological books, and nothing gives her greater 
offence than to tell her how well she looks. 

She visits every advertising specialist in the city, 
returning with numerous packages of medicines and 
new forms of disease, and the top of her kitchen stove 
is filled with varied decoctions warranted to drive away 
all symptoms. Her patient husband pays heavy bills 
for the attendance of healers, clairvoyants, and a host 
of "pathics," hoping for alleviation of the many aches 
and pains of which he is continually hearing. 

She is cross and fretful to him. If he buys her a 
present, it is always found fault with ; and there is 
no comfort in return for all the good-will manifested 
toward her. She complains that the neighbors care 
nothing for her, — that not a person living in the same 
street calls to see her, or has any sympathy for one so 
ill as she is. She blames her minister for not making 
more frequent pastoral calls, and says that he is a man 
of no heart. She turns in antagonism against every 
doctor who does not immediately cure her, and no phy- 
sician of good professional standing desires to give her 
medical attendance. 

When any one pays her a short visit, all other per- 
sons known to both are soundly berated for their faults 
and shortcomings, so that the sphere of her life is ex- 
tremely unpleasant ; and unless there is a change for 
the better, her departure will not be lamented. 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 2$ 

But worst of all, she scolds her little son all the time 
he is in her presence, one of the most delicate and af- 
fectionate natures ever created, and accuses him of 
every ill deed she can imagine to humiliate him, blam- 
ing him for everything as though he was seeking to 
injure her. She tells him that he will be the cause of 
her death, and pictures to him the remorse which he 
will suffer through the remainder of his life when he 
sees her lying cold and dead in her coffin, — driving 
him to his lonely room, where he we-eps in despair, 
wondering if his trials will ever cease. 

This is a true portrait of one whose mind is turned 
only on self. She talks only of herself and her own 
imaginary troubles, and never expresses any interest 
in the welfare of others. She seems to rejoice at the 
misfortunes of others, and is filled with jealousy at 
the prosperity and good health of her acquaintances. 
While in good circumstances, she is always fearing 
poverty, and that her days will end in the poor-house, 
living in constant dread of some impending danger. 

This sad state of chronic invalidism has been fos- 
tered by continually giving way to selfish thoughts 
and considerations ; and the hope is that there may 
yet be opportunity for her to begin the exercise of self- 
control, in the absence of which she has rendered her- 
self miserable, and a burden instead of a help to others. 

She must begin by not thinking of herself, and talk- 
ing about her own trials. She must make an effort to 
rise out of self, and treat her acquaintances with con- 
sideration. It will be no easy task to turn from such 



26 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

a selfish routine, which has made her life thus far a 
trial instead of a blessing. Perhaps only some dire 
affliction will arouse her, and reveal her real condition 
to herself. 

If she could begin and interest herself in the wel- 
fare of her fellow-sufferers, and those immediately 
around her, she would be so helped that there would 
be an improvement in her nervous debility. She has 
in her mental organization all those latent qualities 
which will cause her to become a noble woman, and 
surround her with loving friends. 

It is not too late for this healthful reformation to be 
accomplished, if she will recognize her condition as 
others have thus far been impressed with the baneful 
influence of her life ; but at present it would do her 
no good, nor strengthen us, to seek an interview with 
her. Yet we would rejoice to learn that this unhappy 
woman had been led to a condition of self-control and 
usefulness which many who are suffering with real 
afflictions are endeavoring to exercise for the good of 
humanity. 

Since the foregoing description was written, that 
dear boy has been taken from all his earthly trials, and 
the complaining mother has been awakened to her own 
condition with a sorrow which only time can heal. In 
mourning his loss she only blames herself as the cause 
of his sorrows, and she is earnestly seeking how the 
remainder of her days may be turned to blessing, and 
atone for the grievous mistakes of the past. 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 27 



THE OCEAN PILOT. 

When we journey across the Atlantic, we place our 
lives in the care of the captain of the steamer, in the 
expectation of arriving safely on the other side. We 
have absolute confidence that he understands the na- 
ture of the winds, the various currents, and the tides, 
the shoals and rocks, and how to pilot the vessel 
through the most violent storms. 

We have faith that he knows the strength of the 
ship, the reliability of the machinery, and that the 
rudder will obey the wheel. We have no doubt of 
his caution in running through banks of fog, or in 
steering clear of icebergs, nor of his skill in avoid- 
ing collisions. When darkness settles down over the 
face of the deep, mysterious waters, we betake ourselves 
to our berths, and sleep without fear. 

We do not continually run to the captain and ask 
him why he does this, or why he does not do that. 
We believe that he knows all the ropes, that he un- 
derstands his charts and the deviations of the com- 
pass ; and we do not daily reproach him with the fear 
that we shall never arrive in port. If we should spend 
each hour of the voyage in fretting and worrying about 
these matters which we do not understand, he will yet 
guide the ship safely into anchorage without our aid, 
notwithstanding our making ourselves and everybody 
else uncomfortable. Our distrust would not affect the 
captain nor make him unfaithful, but it would simply 



28 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

react upon ourselves, and bring us into an inharmonious 
condition in relation to the laws of order. 

In the voyage of life, when we are filled with fear 
and anxiety, we forget that we are in the guidance of 
the Captain of the Universe, who is sailing our vessel 
to a sure port. Through this Divine Guidance the lit- 
tle birds are fed, and their wants are all supplied while 
they are taught to provide for themselves and their 
young. The same Power causes the flowers to grow in 
their delicate beauty, each species according to its order. 

When we look up at the starry heavens, we have 
learned that the movements of all the suns and planets 
are guided by the same Being, and that there will be 
no deviation of a single star from its unerring course. 
The myriad of worlds do not crash together because 
they are subject to the laws of the universe ; much less 
shall we be ingulfed in the abyss of destruction. 

But we frail, finite creatures often attempt to take 
the helm out of the hands of the Divine Pilot, and try 
to mark out our own course on the ocean of uncer- 
tainty. We desire to see and be in the port before 
land is in sight, and grasp the events of the hidden 
future. But we soon get into storms and fogs, and are 
driven upon the rocks of despair and distrust, still 
trying to hold on to the helm, until we are made 
aware of our ignorance and feebleness. 

Afflictions never injure the true germ of life which 
is latent within the inner nature. Through trials the 
test of mechanical work is proved, whether it will be 
serviceable for its requirements. Through our trials 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 29 

we are led to perceive that in this voyage of life there 
is a Guiding Hand ; and when we learn to trust our 
course to this leading, our lives will be filled with 
peace, and in due time we shall arrive in that haven 
for which we were created, and where our future work 
is to be done. 

This peace and trust will come to all of us who 
resign our lives to the Great Captain, who knows and 
provides for all our needs, and then we shall begin to 
see the nature of our distrust. 

It is true that pain and inactivity both tend to turn 
the mind solely upon one's self ; and here is the first 
work of a valetudinarian, to study how to think of and 
help those who are outside of our own narrow selves, 
and put it into practice. This very effort will be use- 
ful in restoring a normal condition of the mental and 
physical circulation, and^ it will aid in banishing our 
distrust and the power of the rule of fear. 

The fear of what } 

The fear of not being able to do just as our self- 
will pleases in marking out our own course, instead of 
that childlike state of trust in Him who guides. 

Let us suppose now that, on account of a fierce storm 
which is raging, our captain sends down word that, for 
our safety and best good, it will be wise for us to 
remain in our staterooms and berths until all danger 
is over. Shall we foolishly murmur, and hasten to rush 
on deck where the angry waves will wash us overboard 
into the destructive waters 1 Such a state of fear re- 
calls the words of the old son^;: — 



30 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

** Oh, Pilot, 'tis a fearful night, 
There's danger on the deep ; 
I'll come and pace the deck with thee, 
I do not dare to sleep. 
* Go down ! ' the captain cried, * Go down ! 
This is no place for thee ; 
Fear not ! but trust in Providence, 
Wherever thou may'st be.' " 

We are only passengers in this voyage, and our 
present duty is to obey the orders which are indicated 
for our welfare. The planets of the universe are not 
running wild in their orbits ; and our lives are of such 
importance that the vessel will not founder, for the 
Pilot is guiding, whether we are conscious of his pres- 
ence or not, and we shall safely arrive in that country 
for which we have so long been preparing, and where 
our ideals will be realized. 



UNPATENTED MEDICINE. 

We all have received the religious instruction best 
adapted to our needs, in which we have been taught 
our dependence upon a higher Power, from whom our 
lives originate and are sustained, and also our plain 
and constant duty to our fellow-beings. We have, 
therefore, only to live up to the truth we know, in 
order to obtain a clearer view of our life-work. Truth 
itself is ancient, because it is founded upon an eternal 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 3 1 

basis, and there is nothing to fear when it is revealed 
to the mind in any form. 

The fundamental principles of science have always 
existed ; and when new forms are needed in their appli- 
cation for our use, the revelation of previously hidden 
mysteries is often startling. But in the plain matters 
of fact which concern the sustainment of the physical 
body, there is nothing new to be told, because it must 
constantly be supplied with those elements of which it 
is composed. We have only to make use of what we 
already know, and apply that knowledge in our efforts 
toward recuperation. 

Through detrimental experimenting with drugs and 
medicines upon themselves, chronic invalids know their 
general inefificacy by bitter experience. 

What we term Nature is an external manifestation 
in the material world of laws which are Divine, accord- 
ing to which all vegetable und animal life exists. The 
law of nature in our physical bodies is in the constant 
effort to sustain and restore us to health and make us 
whole, through proper diet, pure air, and such exercise 
as we are able to perform. 

There is nothing new in the selection of the most 
nourishing food, nor in the breathing of wholesome air ; 
but there is great vitality and means of restoration in 
the case of every invalid through the systematic deep 
breathing of the purest air to which we have access. 

There is nothing new in the statement that the 
blood receives a large percentage of oxygen and nour- 
ishment from the inhalation of the lungs, and that 



32 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

much of the impurities are carried away in the process 
of exhalation ; in order to accomplish which the air- 
cells must all be filled through the entire lung surface. 

In the case of a chronic invalid, it requires deter- 
mined, systematic, and persistent effort in the practice 
of deep voluntary breathing, to cause a better circula- 
tion of the blood and aid in bringing about a condition 
of hope and cheerfulness. 

In order that the mind shall be in the best state to 
co-operate with this physical effort, it will be needful 
to attain an internal recognition of our reliance in all 
things upon the Divine Power from whom all things 
originate, as a fundamental principle in our restoration. 
This perception will relieve us from all anxiety in re- 
gard to the affairs of this life and of the realm beyond, 
because it will give us a trust that all the events of our 
existence will be orderly governed ; and this will free 
our minds from fear, worry, and anxiety. 

A simple method of cultivating the physical exercise 
of breathing in the open air, or with fresh air in our 
rooms, is to make a special effort for five minutes each 
hour of the day, breathing through the nose, with the 
mouth closed : — 

Slowly fill the lungs, occupying from four to six sec- 
onds, breathing from the diaphragm. While holding 
the breath four seconds, slowly raise the arms to their 
full height, which will aid in filling the air-cells of the 
upper part of the lungs. Then occupy eight seconds in 
exhaling the air, while slowly lowering the arms.. (Sec- 
onds may be measured by suspending a string thirty- 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS, 33 

nine inches long, attached to a small weight for a 
pendulum.) 

In less than five minutes the blood will be felt with 
increased warmth and circulation in the hands and 
fingers as an immediate evidence of the benefit of this 
practical exercise. If the invalid has strength enough 
to rise upon the toes, or the ball of the foot, in this ex- 
ercise, it will aid much in circulating the blood through 
the whole system. 

This natural medicine will be more beneficial in im- 
parting strength if it leads to a habit of deeper breathing 
through all the hours of the day. Such a systematic 
practice of deep breathing requires the exercise of more 
energetic persistence than many chronic invalids are 
willing to expend, because they have so long given 
themselves up to inactivity and despair. But with this 
method of attempting to regain a better state of health, 
new hope will begin to fill the mind with that cheer- 
fulness which is so essential toward restoration, in spite 
of many set-backs and days of discouragement. 

In regard to diet, every valetudinarian realizes what 
best agrees with the digestive organs ; and the stomach 
should never be surfeited, as a matter of temperance. 
A glass of warm water half an hour before each meal 
will prepare the stomach for the reception of nutritious 
food. 

This method cannot fail to prove itself beneficial if 
there is the least possible chance for restoration ; and 
in the case of the hopelessly lame and paralytic, it will 
result in a better condition of general health if persist- 



34 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

ently followed, without the need of any other medi- 
cine, excepting in the case where acute disease requires 
the attendance of an educated and experienced phy- 
sician. 

By means of this method of restoration the life of 
a friend has been saved for future usefulness. Years 
since, after successive financial losses and discourage- 
ments, he became greatly debilitated, and his life was 
quite given up. He was seized with a continual pain 
in his joints, and became so helpless that he relin- 
quished all interest in the affairs of life. At last he 
was led to attempt this method, not as anything new, 
but as a system which appealed to his rational philos- 
ophy and common sense. 

From a deathly pallor in his countenance the better 
circulation of the blood soon gave his face a ruddy 
color. He began to lose his pessimistic ideas. Hope 
took the place of doubt. The pain ceased in his 
joints. His mind became more active, and by persist- 
ently following the course, he is to-day a changed man, 
looking forward to a life of usefulness for many years 
to come. 

In the use of this unpatented medicine, which is 
freely at hand for all who are willing to make trial of 
its efficacy, the following rules will be helpful in the 
restoration of health : — 

I. A trust in the Divine Providence. 
II. The habitual practice of deep voluntary breathing 
of pure air, with such exercise as is possible. 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS, 35 

III. The temperate use of nutritious food and the 

observance of general hygienic laws. 

IV. The cultivation of a cheerful spirit and thought- 

fulness for the welfare of others. 



THE BLESSINGS OF RETIREMENT. 

Although we were once active in the tumultuous 
affairs of the outside world, we have learned to live 
and think in the world of our individuality, apart from 
the strife and struggle incident to daily contact with 
business affairs ; and perhaps we have been victorious 
in the many conflicts between our dual internal and 
external natures. 

We have learned to be contented with what is given 
us as our daily portion. We have been taught not to 
desire what we cannot possess. If we have learned 
the lesson of self-control and trust in the Divine Provi- 
dence, we have been graduated from the domain of 
anger and anxiety, and are not disturbed by the false 
and heartless ways of the external world. 

Our journeys abroad are in the world of imagination, 
where for the time being we live in an ideal and enjoy- 
able realm, free from the discomforts of travel, the 
homelessness of hotel-life, and the disagreeable part of 
railway and steamship journeying. 

When we read books, or hear them read to us, we 
have the power of so concentrating our thoughts upon 



36 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

the scenes and characters depicted that we are taken 
away from our homely surroundings, and are rich in the 
possession of the ideas of the author. We can mentally 
see the mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes, flowers 
and architecture, presented to view. We also become 
friends with the lovely characters which are pictured, 
and turn from the evil portrayed. 

We enjoy the kind visits and words of those who call 
upon us and open their vistas of experience to us ; and 
we find refreshment in the contact with other minds, 
both by personal relationship and in books. 

We are absolved from the financial cares of the busi- 
ness world, and the artificial ways of conventional 
society. In fact^ we are living our true lives in the 
formation of character, and our motives are better 
understood by others. 

Should we be restored to that better health and ac- 
tivity for which we are hoping, we have learned how 
to make a better use of our lives than before we were 
afflicted. 

We have learned our entire dependence upon the 
Life which sustains us, and our appreciation and need 
of the attention of others, which we shall be willing 
to give to the afflicted. If we are inmates of a hospital, 
we are thankful for this charitable provision for our 
wants, and need have no fear for our earthly future. 
Our discomforts will be alleviated by every known 
means of palliation. 

We have only to be patient. And what is patience } 
■ It is a state of resignation and trust based upon a 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS, 37 

hope that all will be well with us, and that the high 
object for which we were created will surely be at- 
tained. Let us keep this elevating thought ever before 
our minds, knowing that each pang and spasm will be 
one less until we shall be entirely absolved from such 
physical conditions. 

The resignation of despair must not be mistaken 
for the virtue of patience. Despair is somewhat com- 
mingled with our own pride and obstinacy. Disap- 
pointment is the result of our not being resigned to 
the Divine Guidance. 

It is an old doctrine h'anded down through the wisdom 
of the ages, that all our wants are provided for without 
our exercising the least anxiety, if we but do that duty 
which is presented to us each day. 

We cannot sing soprano and alto at the same time, 
and are only responsible for the notes which are as- 
signed to us. If we sing^our part correctly, it will 
blend with the other voices. 

We have nothing to fret or worry about. This old 
doctrine of the Divine Providence has not been rele- 
gated to the archives of an obsolete theology. It is as 
fresh as the rays of the morning sun in its beneficent 
healing of all our troubles and sorrows. In truth, if 
we make it a portion of our lives, we shall not have 
troubles and sorrows, for we shall feel that the solution 
of each event of our progress will be for good and not 
evil. 

This is the great lesson of patience, and will prove 
that we are overflowing with blessings. It teaches us 



38 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

that there is nothing to fear, and that the result will be 
peace and good-will. It will le-ad us to breathe deeply 
of that atmosphere which is filled v/ith the spirit of 
love, and banish doubt and fear. 

Thus shall we experience the blessings of that retire- 
ment into which we have been led, and through such 
a cheerful philosophy be better fitted to do our part 
to-day, which will prepare us for that morrow which is 
always to come. 



AT REST. 

The prospect of rest is sweet to one who is in pain, 
or who is weary with incessant labor. But the object 
of rest is not the final cessation of activity. Its real 
meaning is recuperation for a better continuation of 
our work. If we can fill our minds with this helpful 
thought, we may be able to look at our forced retire- 
ment as a state of repose in which the activities of our 
lives are preparing for more useful work than in the 
days of the past. 

Perhaps such a statement seems hard and unsympa- 
thetic. But what is true sympathy } 

It is that consoling advice which leads us to exert all 
the effort in our power to put ourselves in the best con- 
dition to help others. When this idea shall take pos- 
session of our motives, such renewed life will begin to 
enter our thoughts to such an extent that if we should 
be tempted to complain and tell of our temporary ills. 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 39 

we would feel such a mental vacancy that our mouths 
would be closed. 

True sympathy for a poor man, instead of lament- 
ing over his condition of poverty, seeks to provide him 
with such employment as will alleviate his wants ; and 
the motive for presenting these thoughts emanates from 
the desire to provide nourishing food for those who are 
faint, weary, and discouraged. 

There are many who have passed through, and are 
yet passing through, these experiences of affliction, who 
are living with cheerful faces, and whose presence is 
a delight to their friends ; for it is a state which it is 
possible to attain. 

When we look upon the picture of a beautiful face, 
in which patience, trust, and peace are delineated, we 
so unconsciously absorb those virtues that our internal 
features seem to be transformed into that same coun- 
tenance while we are meditating upon these qualities. 

So those who have entered^ into that rest into which 
they have been led through suffering and disappoint- 
ment, have also become living pictures which influence 
the lives of other sufferers in recognizing the usefulness 
and blessings of affliction, so that they may also be 
transfigured by the same process of development. 

They are those who are not looking forward to a 
lugubrious funeral service, and are not thinking of that 
material rest which is typified by the grave. They are 
not speculating with abstractions concerning a realm 
beyond, which can only be spoken of by using figura- 
tive language ; but they are anticipating the develop- 



40 CHEERFUL PHILOSOPHY 

merit and culmination of all their cherished ideals, 
which will not be ruthlessly swept away and demol- 
ished, although now obscured by clouds. 
' The Life which gave us being has only blessings in 
store for us, in the form best adapted to our capacities 
for blessing others. We are subject to laws of order, 
both in our physical and mental natures; and our pains 
and trials are but the working of these violated laws to 
bring our bodies and spirits into order. 

No event in the material or spiritual world is the 
result of chance or iron fate. Each raindrop which 
comes from above is guided by the same Hand which 
created the life of the universe, and each globule per- 
forms the use for which it was formed. Not a crystal- 
lized snowflake flies through the air to rest upon the 
earth by a hap-hazard destiny, but each fits into its 
place through obedience to laws which are divine. 

When we observe the care bestowed upon the most 
minute forms which need the revelation which the 
microscope affords, can we doubt the loving influence 
which continually envelopes every event of our lives } 

When we realize this watchfulness over all our ways, 
in the endeavor to help us out of our imperfections 
toward the highest life of which we are capable, then 
shall we be at rest from the troublesome things which 
are only temporary in their relation to our progress, in 
the attainment of every virtue which we conceive to be 
the attributes of an angelic life. 

With such a hope, let us take courage each day, and 
look above our burdens, with the perception that the 



FOR THOUGHTFUL INVALIDS. 4 1 

right use of each hour of affliction is a part of the need- 
ful preparation and recuperation to bring us into that 
realm of thought and life for which we were created, 
where we shall experience true rest in that state of 
usefulness and peace which good men call Heaven. 



THE 

ORGANIST'S Retrospect 

OF 

ERNEST ONSLOW, Mus.D. 



ILLUSTRATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 
MUSICAL ARTIST 



'Who, through long days of labor, 
And nights devoid of ease, 
Still heard in his soul the music 
Of wonderful melodies." 



WILLIAM HORATIO CLARKE 



E. T. CLARKE, 
READING, MASS., U.S.A. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Prelude 7 

A Requiem 14 

Early Years 20 

Youthful Trials . . . . . . 30 

Consolation 37 

The Funeral Bell 43 

A Young Organist . 50 

The First Engagement ^7 

Professional Preparation 63 

A New Organ . 72 

Organ Tones 78 

The Service of the Organ 84 

A Religious Episode 86 

A City Organist 93 

Musical Incidents . . .' 100 

The Great Organ in Boston Music Hall 108 

Retrogression 116 

Liberation. . . . . . . ... . . "^ ;t . ." . . 125 

A Vacation in Europe 131 

Organ Building 140 

Interlude 149 

Worldly Inexperience 156 

Unworldly Experience 163 

The Mountain Storm . . ; j^g 

The Ethological Institute 185 

A Cheerful Philosopher 191 

The'^End of Professional Life 200 

A Supernal Vision 211 

Heavenly Music 218 

Postlude , . . . . 224 



MUSIC AND IMMORTALITY. 

[From The Musiciait, Philadelphia.] 

" The sentiment, ' Art is a human expression of elements 
which are divine,' is a prevailing thought in The Orgariisfs 
Retrospect, This story, in autobiographical form, is written 
in pure English without affectation, and exhibits the gradual 
development of a talented organist through varied musical 
experiences and church relationships, described in such a 
natural way that the reader will not for a moment doubt the 
reality of Ernest Onslow, who modestly relates the salient 
events of his public career. 

" The exalted character of Evelyn Winthrop enshrines the 
memory of a beautiful life, which, cherished in many hearts, 
and through the halo which surrounds her in this book, will 
continue to exert an uplifting influence for years to come. 

" The Organist V Retrospect will appeal to esthetic and 
artistic natures outside of the musical world, especially in 
the religious development of one so long associated with 
ecclesiastical environments. 

" It is a book which requires more than a superficial peru- 
sal, as it illustrates a deeper meaning in the musical art than 
is conveyed by the external sounds of melody and harmony. 

^' The chapter entitled ^ Unworldly Experience ' will at 
first appear startling ; but a thoughtful reading will impart 
the perception that a radical consideration of what is true 
rests upon solid and enduring foundations, while the in- 
terpretation contains a spirit of the broadest charity in 
matters of religious thought. 

'' To one who is interested in psychical experiences, the 
coincidences occurring between the ' Prelude ' and ' The 
Vacation in Europe,' in connection with the Great Organ 
in Haarlem, will attract special attention. 

" Although leading the mind of the reader to the ap- 
preciation of the ideal in music, there is sufficient humor 
in some of the incidents to relieve any tendency to heavi- 
ness, and the climax is purely optimistic." 



[From the illustrated volume, One Hundred Years of Music in America.'] 

"Wm. Horatio Clarke, the well-known organist and musical 
litterateur, was born in Newton, Mass., in 1840, and is from a New 
England family whose ancestor settled near Boston in 1634. 

''At the age of nine he began to compose church music, and 
early selected the organ as his favorite instrument. In 1856 he was 
an organist in Dedham, Mass., leaving that position for the one 
with the Berkeley Street Society in Boston in 1859, and for a time 
was connected with the musical department of the Perkins Institu- 
tion for the Blind. 

"In 1 87 1 he removed to Dayton, Ohio, where he was superinten- 
dent of musical instruction in the public schools, and afterwards to 
IndianapoHs, Ind., where he was organist of one of the influential 
churches. 

" In 1878 he was organist at the Tremont Temple in Boston, re- 
tiring upon his extensive estate in Reading, Mass., in 1887, where he 
built a chapel of music, called Clarigold Hall, in which was placed 
a very large pipe organ of four manuals and one iiundred stops. 

" Mr. Clarke is one of the most universally gifted men in the 
musical profession. As a musical author he has produced a large 
number of books for the organ which have proved uniformly suc- 
cessful, and which have been of great practical value to students, 
one of these having had a sale of more than 120,000 copies. As a 
concert organist he maintained a series of organ recitals for many 
years, in which he brought forward compositions of all schools. 
He has five sons who inherit his musical talents." 



The Organist's Retrospect, by Wm. Horatio Clarke. Bound 
in neat cloth. Net price, $1.50. Sent postpaid on receipt of price. 

Published and for sale by E. T. Clarke, Reading, Mass. 

Remittances to be made by post-office order or express money 
order. Postage stamps not to be sent unless there is no other way 
of remitting the anvount, and then they must be registered. In this 
way, if the order should be lost or stolen, there will be no loss of 
money to the sender. Any other way of remitting will not be safe, 
and will be at the risk of the sender. 

Write address in full, giving name of town, county, and State. 
Address order and remittance to E. T. Clarke, Reading, Mass., 
Lock Box loi. 




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